The present invention relates to an effective utilization of soybean curd lees, which are discharged in large quantity in the process to produce soybean foods such as soybean curd (tofu) or soybean milk known as superior foodstuffs containing vegetable protein. In particular, the invention relates to a method for producing tasty and highly functional soybean milk and soybean curd (tofu) using at least a part of soybean curd lees with high economic feasibility and without releasing wastes.
In a conventional process to produce soybean-related food products such as soybean curd, soybean milk, etc., a large quantity of soybean curd lees are discharged as side products.
The disposal of the soybean curd lees causes serious environmental and economic problems, and various attempts have been made to effectively utilize the soybean curd lees for different purposes.
An invention is described (for example, in JP-A-5-3761) to utilize the soybean curd lees as raw material for soybean curd without discarding as waste. However, according to this invention, the production process is complicated and the number of processes are too many. It is necessary to perform refrigerating process for preservation and thawing process, and this requires long time and high cost.
There are many different methods to produce soybean curd, such as a method based on enzyme processing, based on pulverizing process, a method using these two methods, etc. However, the obtained products are of lower quality and poor in taste, flavor when eaten, odor, color and luster, and visco-elasticity. It is very difficult to propagate and market these products on practical scale and on commercial base.
Further, various proposals have been made in many different fields on the utilization of soybean curd lees, but most of them are not suitable for practical application.
After making every possible effort to overcome the above problems, the present inventors have developed a method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk and a functional soybean curd useful for keeping good health by effectively utilizing soybean curd lees, which are obtained in large quantity as side product during the process to produce soybean curd. The newly developed method is described in the present invention.
Specifically, the present invention relates to the production of a functional soybean curd lees milk as described below, and also to the production of a functional soybean curd.
In the present invention, the term xe2x80x9cwhole soybeanxe2x80x9d means soybean with shell in full size. The term xe2x80x9cshelled soybeanxe2x80x9d means a soybean obtained from the whole soybean by removing shell and hypocotyls. The term xe2x80x9cpowdered soybeanxe2x80x9d means a soybean product obtained by pulverizing the above soybean.
The term xe2x80x9cfunctional soybean curd lees milkxe2x80x9d means a type of soybean milk, which is obtained from raw material containing soybean curd lees by enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid. The term xe2x80x9cfunctional total soybean curd lees milkxe2x80x9d means a product produced by adding soybean milk, obtained in a process to produce soybean-related food product, to the functional soybean curd lees milk. Further, the term xe2x80x9cfunctional soybean curdxe2x80x9d means a type of soybean curd, which is produced using the above functional soybean curd lees milk.
Further, the term xe2x80x9cprimary enzyme reactionxe2x80x9d used in the embodiments of the present invention means enzyme reaction by a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme. The term xe2x80x9csecondary enzyme reactionxe2x80x9d means enzyme reaction by a protein crosslinking enzyme.
[The Inventions Relating to the Production of Functional Soybean Curd Lees Milk]
(1) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, and producing a functional soybean curd less milk containing large quantity of food fibers.
(2) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, performing enzyme reaction by adding protein crosslinking enzyme, and producing functional soybean curd lees milk containing large quantity of food fibers.
(3) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of adding water, a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme, and a protein decomposing enzyme to soybean curd lees formed in a process to produce soybean-related food products such as soybean milk or soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction by adding mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, and producing a functional soybean curd lees milk containing large quantity of food fibers.
(4) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of adding water, a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme, and a protein decomposing enzyme to soybean curd lees formed in a process to produce soybean-related food products such as soybean milk or soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction by adding mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, performing enzyme reaction by adding a protein crosslinking enzyme, and producing a functional soybean curd lees milk containing large quantity of food fibers.
(5) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, performing enzyme reaction by adding soybean milk formed in a process to produce the soybean-related food products and mixing with a protein crosslinking enzyme, and producing a functional total soybean curd lees milk containing large quantity of food fibers.
(6) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, performing enzyme reaction by adding a protein crosslinking enzyme, adding and mixing soybean milk formed in the process to produce said soybean-related food product, and producing a functional total soybean curd lees milk containing large quantity of food fibers.
(7) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of performing water-immersion process, smashing process and heating process on soybeans one after another to obtain a boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d (water-immersed and smashed soybeans), and performing enzyme reaction according to one of (1) to (4) above to said boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d.
(8) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of obtaining a xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d juice (raw xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d) through immersion process and smashing process on soybeans, performing enzyme reaction according to one of (1) to (4) above, and heating and cooling.
(9) A method for producing a functional soybean curd less milk according to one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the enzyme reaction is characterized in that:
{circle around (1)} adding quantity of the plant tissue disintegrating enzyme is 0.1-1.0 weight %, reaction temperature is 20xc2x0 C.-60xc2x0 C., and reaction time is 30-90 minutes; and
{circle around (2)} adding quantity of the protein crosslinking enzyme is 0.1-2.0 weight %, enzyme reaction temperature is 20xc2x0 C.-50xc2x0 C., and enzyme reaction time is 70-10 minutes.
(10) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the soybean curd lees are pulverized to particle size of less than 100 xcexcm by mechanical pulverizing process.
(11) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to (10) above, wherein said mechanical pulverizing process is performed using a colloid mill.
(12) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to (2) and (4) to (11) above, wherein the protein crosslinking enzyme is transglutaminase.
(13) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to one of (1) to (12) above, wherein the plant tissue disintegrating enzyme is an enzyme to decompose and dissolve one or more types selected from pectin, protopectin, hemicellulose or cellulose to low molecular substances.
(14) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising a raw material fluid tank for accommodating a raw material mixture containing soybean curd lees, water and various types of enzymes as described in one of (1) to (13) above, and an in-liquid pulverizer for pulverizing the soybean curd lees to particle size of less than 100 xcexcm, whereby said in-liquid pulverizer is designed in such a structure that pulverizing processing of the soybean curd lees and enzyme reaction are performed at the same time.
(15) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising a raw material fluid tank for accommodating a raw material mixture containing soybean curd lees, water, various types of enzymes and soybean milk as described in one of (1) to (13) above, and an in-liquid pulverizer for pulverizing the soybean curd lees to particle size of less than 100 xcexcm, whereby said in-liquid pulverizing is designed in such a structure that pulverizing processing of the soybean curd lees and enzyme reaction are performed at the same time.
(16) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to (14) or (15) above, wherein said in-liquid pulverizer is a colloid mill installed and connected to an outlet of the raw material fluid tank.
Further, other aspects of the present invention are proposed as follows:
(17) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, comprising the steps of performing water-immersion process, smashing process and heating process one after another to soybeans to produce a boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d (water-immersed and smashed soybeans), and performing enzyme reaction described in one of (1) to (4) above to the boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d.
Specifically, the method comprises the steps of:
{circle around (1)} performing enzyme reaction by adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to the boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d and performing enzyme reaction by applying mechanical pulverizing on it in liquid; {circle around (2)} adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme, and performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing to it in liquid, and then, adding a protein crosslinking enzyme and performing enzyme reaction; {circle around (3)} adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme and a protein decomposing enzyme, and performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid; {circle around (4)} adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme and a protein decomposing enzyme, and performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, and then, performing enzyme reaction by adding the protein crosslinking enzyme.
(18) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to (17) above, wherein the enzyme reaction and mechanical pulverizing process of (17) are applied to xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d juice (raw xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d) obtained in water-immersion process and smashing process to soybeans instead of applying on the boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d as described above, and by heating and cooling when necessary.
(19) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, wherein the in-liquid pulverizer of soybean curd lees described in one of (14) to (16) above is provided with a mechanism for mechanically pulverizing the soybean curd lees by sucking a raw material fluid containing soybean curd lees in the raw material fluid tank and for sending the lees milk to outside.
(20) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, wherein the apparatus for producing the functional soybean curd lees milk described in one of (14) to (16) and (19) above is provided with {circle around (1)} a cooling mechanism, and {circle around (2)} a mechanism for circulating the raw material fluid applied with enzyme reaction and mechanical pulverizing or a processed slurry in the order of: raw material fluid tankxe2x86x92mechanical pulverizerxe2x86x92raw material fluid tank.
[The Inventions Relating to the Production of Functional Soybean Curd]
(21) A method for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, adding and mixing soybean milk formed in the process to produce the soybean-related food product to obtain a functional total soybean curd lees milk, and producing a functional soybean curd by adding and mixing a coagulant to said soybean curd lees milk.
(22) A method for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, adding a protein crosslinking enzyme and mixing the soybean milk formed in the process to produce the soybean-related food product, obtaining a functional total soybean curd lees milk by performing enzyme reaction, and producing a functional soybean curd by adding a coagulant to and mixing said soybean curd lees milk.
(23) A method for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising the steps of adding water and a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to soybean curd lees produced in a process to produce soybean products such as soybean milk and soybean curd, performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, performing enzyme reaction by adding a protein crosslinking enzyme, obtaining a functional total soybean curd lees milk by adding and mixing soybean milk obtained in the process to produce the soybean-related food product, and producing a functional soybean curd by adding a coagulant to and mixing the soybean curd lees milk.
(24) A method for producing a functional soybean curd according to one of (21) to (23) above, wherein mechanical pulverizing process is performed during enzyme reaction by the protein crosslinking enzyme.
(25) A method for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising the steps of performing water-immersion process, smashing process and heating process to soybeans one after another to produce a boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d (water-immersed and smashed soybean), and performing enzyme reaction described in one of (21) to (24) above to said boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d.
(26) A method for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising the steps of performing water-immersion process and smashing process to soybeans to produce a xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d juice (raw xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d), and performing the enzyme reaction described in one of (21) to (24) above to said xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d juice.
(27) A method for producing a functional soybean curd according to one of (21) to (26) above, wherein the enzyme reaction is characterized in that:
{circle around (1)} adding quantity of the plant tissue disintegrating enzyme is 0.1-1.0 weight %, reaction temperature is 20xc2x0 C.-60xc2x0 C., and reaction time is 30-90 minutes; and
{circle around (2)} adding quantity of the protein crosslinking enzyme is 0.1-2.0 weight %, enzyme reaction temperature is 20xc2x0 C.-50xc2x0 C., and enzyme reaction time is 70-10 minutes.
(28) A method for producing a functional soybean curd according to one of (21) to (27) above, wherein the mechanical pulverizing process is to pulverize the soybean curd lees to particle size of less than 100 xcexcm.
(29) A method for producing a functional soybean curd according to (28) above, wherein the mechanical pulverizing process is performed using a colloid mill.
(30) A method for producing a functional soybean curd according to one of (22) to (29) above, wherein the protein crosslinking enzyme is transglutaminase.
(31) A method for producing a functional soybean curd according to one of (21) to (30) above, wherein the plant tissue disintegrating enzyme is an enzyme to decompose and dissolve one or more types selected from pectin, hemicellulose or cellulose to low molecular substances.
(32) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising a raw material fluid tank for accommodating a raw material mixture containing soybean curd lees, water, and various types of enzymes as described in one of (21) to (31) above, an in-liquid pulverizer for pulverizing the soybean curd lees to particle size of less than 100 xcexcm, and a coagulating system for adding, mixing and coagulating soybean milk to a liquid containing soybean curd lees processed by pulverizing and coagulating and by adding a coagulant to the mixture and by heating and cooling, whereby the in-liquid pulverizer is designed in such structure that pulverizing process for the soybean curd lees and enzyme reaction are performed at the same time.
(33) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising a raw material fluid tank for accommodating a raw material mixture containing soybean curd lees, water, various types of enzymes, and soybean milk as described in one of (21) to (31) above, an in-liquid pulverizer for pulverizing the soybean curd lees to particle size of less than 100 xcexcm, and a coagulating system for adding a coagulant to a mixture solution of the soybean curd lees processed by pulverizing and soybean milk, and by heating, cooling and coagulating.
(34) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd according to (32) to (33) above, wherein the in-liquid pulverizer is a colloid mill connected to an outlet of the raw material fluid tank.
As the other aspects of the present invention, the following inventions are proposed:
(35) A method for producing a functional soybean curd, comprising the steps of performing water-immersion process, smashing process and heating process one after another to soybeans to produce a boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d (water-immersed and smashed soybeans), and performing enzyme reaction described in one of (21) to (24) above to the boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d;
Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: {circle around (1)} performing enzyme reaction by adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme to the boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d and performing enzyme reaction by applying mechanical pulverizing on it in liquid; {circle around (2)} adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme, and performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing to it in liquid, and then, adding a protein crosslinking enzyme and performing enzyme reaction; {circle around (3)} adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme and a protein decomposing enzyme, and performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid; {circle around (4)} adding a plant tissue disintegrating enzyme and a protein decomposing enzyme, and performing enzyme reaction while applying mechanical pulverizing process in liquid, and then, performing enzyme reaction by adding the protein crosslinking enzyme.
(36) A method for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk according to (35) above, wherein the enzyme reaction and mechanical pulverizing process of (35) are applied to xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d juice (raw xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d) obtained in water-immersion process and smashing process to soybeans instead of applying on the boiled xe2x80x9cgoxe2x80x9d as described above, and by heating and cooling when necessary.
(37) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, wherein the in-liquid pulverizer of soybean curd lees described in one of (32) to (34) is provided with a mechanism for mechanically pulverizing the soybean curd lees by sucking a raw material fluid containing soybean curd lees in the raw material fluid tank and for sending the lees milk to outside.
(38) An apparatus for producing a functional soybean curd lees milk, wherein the apparatus for producing the functional soybean curd lees milk described in one of (32) to (34) and (37) is provided with {circle around (1)} a cooling mechanism, and {circle around (2)} a mechanism for circulating the raw material fluid applied with enzyme reaction and mechanical pulverizing or a processed slurry in the order of: raw material fluid tankxe2x86x92mechanical pulverizerxe2x86x92raw material fluid tank.